This invention relates to concrete paving equipment and more particularly to fogging systems used to apply water vapor to a new concrete surface. Concrete begins to cure immediately when it is mixed. High ambient temperature, low humidity, direct sunlight and wind will tend to accelerate drying of the concrete surface. In some situations, this can make it difficult to finish the concrete surface with the desired texture, seal and cause surface cracking.
Fogging systems having evolved from simple bug sprayers, pressure washers and garden hoses to the sophisticated integrated finishing carriage fogging systems of today which provide for fogging of the surface next to the carriage and fogging the drag pans and other drags.
While these integrated carriage fogging systems have enjoyed some commercial success in the industry, they have drawbacks.
The systems with galvanized water distribution and sprayer mounting bars mounted to the finishing carriage have experienced spraying disruptions which can affect multiple sprayers or in some failure modes all of the sprayers thereby causing a large scale problem which required immediate repairs. Also, in some situations the unevenness of spraying causes problems. Lastly, such systems did not accommodate readily adding or subtracting a sprayer from collection of sprayers to change the spray pattern.
In systems with above the H frame, sprayer support weldments, it was difficult to add or remove new sprayers.
Consequently, there is a need for improvement in integrated finishing carriage fogging systems which reduces the frequency of need for urgent repairs and for duration of downtime associated with repairs.